MB&F have a knack for finding the most interesting partners. This Baselworld, they collaborated with the talented James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites to add two variations to their existing line, namely the HMX Black Badger and the Starfleet Machine Black Badger.
MB&F HMX Black Badger
The MB&F HMX is not quite a new machine. Released last year, and intended to be only offered to existing MB&F owners as a “reward” for their custom, it was quickly sold out. We covered a full hands-on analytical review on the HMX here. For this year, MB&F updated the HMX by collaborating with Black Badger. Black Badger first saw light (pun intended) in horological circles with their collaboration with Schofield Watch Company and most recently with the wildly successful Sarpaneva K0 Northern Lights, released in Baselworld 2015. The series was so successful, that for Baselworld 2016, a simper version, sans moonphase, will be made available. We covered this with a sneak hands-on analytical review of the Sarpaneva K0 Seasons. The unique features of the glow of the Black Badger lume is quite intriguing.
The MB&F HMX Black Badger…time reading side…showing the lume through the prism.
SuperLuminova is a liquid, that is applied to surfaces. The liquid dries and has luminescence properties. Black Badger’s lume comes in solid blocks from a company called Ambient Glow Technology (AGT) and are milled by hand or machine into the desired shape. Black Badger composite lume stores and releases the light very efficiently, and as there is more volume in the solid block than dried paint of SuperLuminova, it shines brighter for longer. For the MB&F collaboration, Max Büsser and team chose Radar Green, Phantom Blue and Purple Reign from the vast range of colours available.
The three available colors of the new MB&F HMX Black Badger in blue, green and purple.
Normal white light charges the green and blue quite easily but for purple, ultraviolet light is needed because more energy is needed.
The MB&F HMX Black Badger is available in 3 x 18 pieces in grade 5 titanium and stainless steel, one in each of the three Black Badger colors of green, blue and purple.
MB&F HMX Black Badger. On the left in regular light, and the right in the dark.
MB&F Starfleet Machine Black Badger
The MB&F Starfleet Machine too is an existing clock from the MB&F collection. The clock itself is a collaboration with L’Epée, and was so popular when released that it was quickly sold out.
MB&F Starfleet Machine Black Badger…glowing quietly in the dark.
The series is also available in a limited edition of 3 x 18 pieces in palladium plated brass, one set of each in green, blue and purple. We think it works particularly well in complete darkness…the glow of the Black Badger composites making it look like it was indeed a space ship in the darkness of space.
Detail of th time reading dial of the Starfleet Machine Black Badger.
Starfleet Machine. On the left, in the dark with the glow, and on the right in normal light.
Technical Specifications
The base HMX and Starfleet Machine remains unchanged. The only speciality in this edition is the addition of the lume by Black Badger Composites.
MB&F HMX Black Badger
Limited edition of 3 × 18 pieces in grade 5 titanium and stainless steel, with lume in Radar Green,
Phantom Blue, or Purple Reign
ENGINE
Three-dimensional horological Engine composed of a jumping hour and trailing minutes module developed
in-house by MB&F, powered by a Sellita gear train
Mechanical movement, automatic winding
22K gold automatic winding rotor
Power reserve: 42 hours
Balance frequency: 28,800bph / 4Hz
Number of components: 223
Number of jewels: 29
FUNCTIONS/INDICATIONS
Bi-directional jumping hours and trailing minutes, displayed by dual reflective sapphire crystal prisms
with integrated magnifying lens. Engine “rocker covers” from milled blocks of high-efficiency lume
CASE
Grade 5 titanium and stainless steel
Dimensions: 46.8 × 44.3 × 20.7 mm
Number of components: 44
Water resistance: 30m / 3atm
SAPPHIRE CRYSTALS
Sapphire crystals on top, front and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Dual reflective sapphire crystal prisms with integrated magnifying lens
STRAP & BUCKLE
Partially perforated calfskin strap with colour complementary to Engine, titanium tang buckle
MB&F Starfleet Machine Black Badger
Limited edition of 3 × 18 pieces in palladium-plated brass, with lume in Radar Green, Phantom Blue,
or Purple Reign
DISPLAY
Hours and minutes: curved, hand-polished hands rotate to indicate hours and minutes on a polished,
central dome. The lume-enhanced dome features MB&F’s signature numerals
Retrograde seconds: 20-second intervals indicated by double retrograde fly-out cannons emanating
from central dome
Power reserve indicator: a lume-enhanced dome indicator framed by a hand-finished arc provides an
intuitive view of remaining energy as it turns 270°: 5 bars, 4 bars, 3 bars, 2 bars, 1 bar (1 bar = 8 days).
Complemented by a ‘radar dish’ that also revolves 270°
Lume: the solid Black Badger luminescent material is on the underside of the external ring surrounding
the whole structure, on the inside of the three legs supporting Starfleet Machine, and on the hour and
minute hands and dome as well as the power reserve dome
MAIN STRUCTURE
Height: approx. 21cm
Diameter: approx. 29cm
Inner C-shaped structure, external C-shaped structure, support arcs and screws all in palladium-plated
brass
MOVEMENT
L’Epée in-house designed and manufactured movement
Balance frequency: 18,000 bph / 2.5Hz
Barrels: 5 in series
Power reserve: 40 days
Jewels: 48
Incabloc shock protection system
Manual-winding: double-ended key to set time and wind movement
Mechanism and main plate in palladium-treated brass
TRANSPARENT ‘BIOSPHERE’ DOME
Material: polished glass
Height: 27cm
Maximum diameter: 31.5cm
